Henry Green Primary School

HENRY GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

p.1

HENRY GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Henry Green Primary School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior School

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Henry Green Primary School Green Lane Dagenham Essex

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Lena Smith

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23/02/1998 Henry Green Primary School - 4

p.3

responsibilities

Michael Edwards Registered inspector English Science The school's results and pupils' achievements How well are pupils' taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? Yair Salasnik Lay inspector Pupils attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Diane Pilbro Team inspector Art Design and technology Physical education Foundation stage Gillian Thumpston Team inspector Mathematics Religious education History Sue Thomas-Pounce Team inspector Music Information and communication technology How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

p.4

responsibilities

Christopher Taylor Team inspector Geography Special educational needs Maura Docherty Team inspector English as an additional language Equal opportunities Henry Green Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

p.4

responsibilities

360 Lee Valley Technopark Ashley Road London N17 9LN

p.5

responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

p.5

responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.5

responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Henry Green Primary School - 6

p.5

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

p.6

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

The school’s results and achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

p.6

AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 27

Henry Green Primary School - 7 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

p.7

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Henry Green Primary School is much bigger than other primary schools, with 416 pupils aged 3 to 11 on roll. Fifty-two pupils attend part time in the nursery. Pupils start the nursery with attainment well below that expected of their age. A large number of pupils either leave or join the school mid way through the year. The school serves an area in which there are quite high levels of social and economic disadvantage. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is broadly in line with the national average. The majority of pupils come from white heritage backgrounds and there is a small proportion from a range of ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds including those from Black Caribbean, Black African, Albanians, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi families. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language has risen over the past five years to about nine per cent: six pupils are just starting to learn to speak English. The school does not

p.7

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

receive extra money to support these pupils. Almost 28 per cent of pupils have special educational needs, which is above the national picture, but the number with a statement of special educational needs is below the national average.

p.7

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Henry Green Primary School is a good school with a very strong commitment to improvement. It has the strong support of parents and governors. Children in the Foundation Stage receive a good start to their schooling. The overall quality of teaching is good and pupils' personal, social and moral development is very good, leading to very good relationships. The school is well led by the headteacher but the way it evaluates some aspects of its work is not robust enough. Standards in mathematics and science in Year 6 are high, but in some subjects pupils do not achieve enough. The school provides good value for money.

p.7

What the school does well

• National test results for Year 6 pupils in mathematics and science are above average and, together with English, high when compared with similar schools. • The school is well led by the headteacher so that all connected with the school have a very strong commitment to improvement. • Pupils' personal, social and moral development is very good. • The school sets and achieves good standards of behaviour, and relationships between teachers and pupils are very good. • Links with parents, and their support for the school are very strong. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good.

p.7

What could be improved

• The standards achieved in writing, music, design and technology, information and communication technology and geography. • Not enough time is given to teaching subjects other than English and mathematics. • Insufficient use is made of assessment information to make sure all pupils get demanding enough work. • The school's planning for future development is weak. • The way the school evaluates some aspects of its work, and plans for future developments, is not sufficiently effective. • Attendance is too low. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Overall, the school has made good improvement since the last inspection in February 1998. Standards in English, mathematics and science for Year 6 pupils have significantly improved. There has not been a corresponding improvement for Year 2 pupils. Standards in religious education have improved but the Agreed Syllabus is still not being fully taught. Standards have declined in art, design and technology, geography, and information and communication technology and standards in music are still below expectations. Teaching has shown significant improvement. The long-term plans for each subject have improved but the allocation of time for subjects has not been addressed. The school has very successfully improved the pupils' speaking and listening skills. Henry Green Primary School - 8

p.7

STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

p.8

Key

English E C C A well above average above average A B mathematics D C A A* average below average C D science C C B A well below average E

p.8

Key

By the time pupils leave Henry Green Primary School overall standards are above average and high for similar schools. The results of the 2001 National Curriculum tests, taken when pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6, are above average in science, average in English and very high in mathematics with lower and higher attaining pupils doing particularly well. When these results are put next to schools that have a similar number of pupils eligible for school meals free of charge standards are very high in English and science, and in the top five per cent of all similar schools in mathematics. Over the last five years the school’s results have improved at a faster rate than the national picture. Governors have set challenging and realistic targets for English and mathematics. The results also show that pupils of all abilities make good progress overall between the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6 and achieve well. Progress is particularly good in mathematics but in

p.8

Key

English progress is less than expected because pupils start school with limited English skills and pupils do not have enough opportunities to improve their writing in subjects other than English.

p.8

Key

Children in the Foundation Stage make a very good start to their education in the nursery class and continue to make satisfactory to good progress in all areas of learning in the Reception classes.

p.8

Key

The results of the 2001 national tests for Year 2 pupils show that they attain standards below the national average in reading and mathematics and well below the national average in writing. In comparison with schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, standards are above average in reading, below average in writing and average in mathematics. The results remain similar to those in the last inspection.

p.8

Key

The work seen in lessons in Years 1 and 2 broadly confirms that standards have improved in reading, writing and mathematics. In Years 3 to 6 standards are not as high as last year, but pupils still achieve well given their starting point. The reason for this is that this is about two different groups of pupils. In mathematics standards are currently above national expectations. In English, apart from writing, science, history, religious education, physical education and art attainment is broadly in line with expectations but below in design and technology, geography, music and information and communication technology. Henry Green Primary School - 9

p.8

Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy school, are keen to learn and respond to their work and teachers in a mature manner. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good in classrooms and around the school. There is no evidence of bullying, sexism or racism. Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils have a strong respect for the values, feelings and beliefs of others and their relationships with adults and other pupils are very good. Attendance Attendance is well below the national average.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Pupils' social and moral development are strengths. Pupils willingly take on a range of responsibilities.

p.9

Years 1 - 2 Years 3 - 6

Lessons seen overall Good Satisfactory Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

p.9

Years 1 - 2 Years 3 - 6

Teaching is good overall and has improved significantly since the last inspection. This good teaching has a strong impact on pupils’ learning and explains why they make good progress and achieve well between Years 3 and 6. Teaching in mathematics is good overall and it is good in English in Years 3 to 6. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is also good because basic skills such as reading and writing are taught well and because teachers have high expectations of children. The way teachers manage pupils and the relationships with pupils are strengths across the school: this contributes significantly to learning because it means that pupils are keen and eager to get on with their work and concentrate well. As a result pupils work at a brisk pace and make good progress. There is, though, an area for improvement: teachers in Years 1 to 6 do not always use assessment information to identify weaknesses in pupils' learning and to make sure that the work

p.9

Years 1 - 2 Years 3 - 6

they set is suitably demanding for all pupils. This means that work is not always in step with the learning needs of pupils of different abilities.

p.9

Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Too little time is spent on some subjects and the length of the day in Years 3 to 6 is less than that recommended: this limits pupils’ achievements in some subjects. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Support is very good enabling pupils to make good progress and take a full part in lessons.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The provision for pupils with English as an additional language is good resulting in good learning.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Overall the provision is good. Provision for moral and social development is very good and for spiritual development is satisfactory. Provision for pupils' cultural development is unsatisfactory because not enough is done to promote a wider understanding of the richness of different cultures. How well the school cares for its pupils The school takes good care of its pupils. Procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils' welfare are good and for promoting good behaviour are very good. Assessment information is not effectively used to guide curricular planning. Procedures for improving attendance are not rigorous enough. Henry Green Primary School - 10 The school works very well in partnership with parents. The length of the teaching time and timetable arrangements means that insufficient time is allocated to some subjects, so standards

p.9

Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school is led well by the headteacher. Day-to-day management by the headteacher and management team is good but planning for future developments lacks clarity. New staff are very well supported.

p.10

Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are very supportive and fulfil their statutory responsibilities satisfactorily. The governors' strategic role and their monitoring of the work of the school is less effective.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has taken very effective action to meet its challenging targets but systems for evaluating aspects of its performance are not sufficiently effective.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of staff. There is insufficient link between the budget and planned areas for development.

p.10

Aspect Comment

Support staff are well led by the special educational needs co-ordinator and make a major contribution to the progress of pupils with special educational needs. The accommodation is good, apart from the outside facilities for the youngest pupils. There are not enough computers and there are too few good quality fiction books. The reflection of shared values throughout the school and the team commitment between adults are real strengths. The school is just beginning to apply the principles of best value but does not yet have sufficiently effective systems to identify what it does well and what could be improved.

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their child likes school. • The school expects their child to work hard. • The teaching is good. • The behaviour in the school is good. • Parents are well informed about how their child is getting on. • Their child makes good progress. • The school does not provide an interesting range of activities.

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with parents on the things that please them most. The inspection finds that there is a range of out of school activities for pupils to take part in and the school organises a wide range of educational visits, including residential visits, to enhance the curriculum. Henry Green Primary School - 11 PART B: COMMENTARY

p.10

The school’s results and achievements

1. By the time pupils leave Henry Green Primary School overall standards are above average. The results of the 2001 National Curriculum tests, taken when pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6, are very high in mathematics, above average in science and average in English. When these results are put next to schools that have a similar number of pupils eligible for school meals free of charge standards are very high in English and science, and in the top five per cent of all similar schools nationally in mathematics. Lower and higher attaining pupils achieve particularly well in mathematics. Results in mathematics and science show an improvement on the 2000 results, significantly so in mathematics, but in English there has been a slight decline. However, in all three subjects there has been a very marked improvement in standards since the last inspection. Over the last five years the school’s results have improved at a faster rate than the

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

2. The results of the 2001 national tests for Year 2 pupils show that they attain standards below the national average in reading and mathematics and well below the national average in writing. In comparison with the schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, standards are above average in reading, below average in writing and average in mathematics. Teacher assessments in science show that pupils are attaining in line with the national average at the expected level. However no pupils reach the higher levels. The results for reading and writing show a decline since 1997 when standards were average in reading and writing and in mathematics when standards were above average. However, there has been an improvement in reading, writing and mathematics since the 1998 tests.

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

3. The results show that pupils make good progress overall between the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6 and achieve well. Progress is particularly good in mathematics where pupils do much better than in other schools with similar Year 2 national test results. In English, however, progress is less than expected, particularly in writing for a number of reasons: pupils start school with limited English skills; teachers do not sufficiently analyse pupils’ written work so that they can provide work to address weaknesses and pupils do not have enough opportunities to improve their writing in subjects other than English.

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

4. Attainment on entry to the nursery is well below what is expected for children of their age and the attainment on entry to the Reception in all areas assessed through the statutory baseline assessment is below that expected but slightly above the average for the Borough. Children in the Foundation Stage make a very good start to their education in the nursery class and continue to make satisfactory to good progress in all areas of learning in the Reception classes. They make very good progress in literacy and numeracy and are generally on course to meet the standards expected by the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

5. The governors have set the school sufficiently challenging statutory targets for English and mathematics and pupils are making good progress towards achieving them. Appropriately, they take into account the pupils' previous attainments.

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

6. The work seen in Years 1 and 2 broadly confirms that standards have improved in reading, writing and mathematics. In reading and mathematics pupils’ attainment is now broadly average. The major reasons for this improvement are that teaching is now better and because the school has effectively implemented the LEA’s strategies for literacy and numeracy. In addition the school spends a large amount of time on English lessons. However, standards in writing are still below average because too little opportunity is given for pupils to write outside of English lessons. In science pupils are working below the level expected at the end of Year 2, and too few high attaining pupils are making the progress of which they are capable. This decline in standards is due to pupils not spending enough time on science so they do not have the opportunity to cover the required programme of study in sufficient depth. Pupils’ achievements in geography, history,

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

physical education, art and religious education are broadly as expected for their age. In design and Henry Green Primary School - 12 technology, music and information and communication technology standards are below expectation because too little time is spent on them so pupils do not have the opportunity to make appropriate progress.

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

7. The evidence from lessons in Years 3 to 6, however, shows that standards are not as high as last year, but that most achieve well by the end of Year 6 given their starting point. Part of the reason for this apparent fall in standards is that this is a comparison between two different groups of pupils. However, it is also because in mathematics and science the more able pupils are not being stretched enough and the school’s scheme of work in science is not being followed consistently in Years 3 to 5: as a result pupils do not achieve as well as they should and too few achieve the higher levels. At the end of Year 6 standards in mathematics are currently above national expectations. In English, apart from writing, science, history, physical education and art attainment is broadly in line with national expectations, but below in geography, design and technology, music and information and communication technology. Standards in religious

p.12

The school’s results and achievements

education are in line with what is expected. Since the last inspection standards in religious education have improved but standards in music continue to be below expectations and standards have declined in art, design and technology, geography and information and communication technology. This decline is because the full programmes of study are not being taught consistently in each year group due to too little time being spent on the subjects.

p.12

The school’s results and achievements

8. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in their work because of the level and quality of support provided. Those pupils withdrawn from lessons for additional support make good progress because of the teachers' and teacher assistants' high expectations and the brisk pace of sessions. Pupils with English as an additional language make very good progress because their needs are recognised and teachers provide appropriate activities for them.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils’ personal development and relationships are very good. Their attitudes to the school and their behaviour are good. All these factors have a positive impact on pupils’ learning. This shows a continuation and reinforcement of the good attitudes found at the last inspection. The school, parents and governors are proud of this aspect of the school life, which they justifiably feel is a strength of the school.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The majority of pupils are keen to come to school and play a full part in its life. They have a good attitude to their work. They show interest in their lessons and listen to their teachers. They are able and willing to contribute in an orderly fashion and without calling out in a wide range of lessons and contexts, including where pupils are involved in movement and action and where their involvement requires them to reflect on and discuss concepts such as relationships and responsibilities.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils generally behave well in classes and around the school. Pupils are aware of what is expected from them in this regard and were consulted over the school’s Code of Conduct. In the few instances of unacceptable behaviour observed, pupils quickly responded when a teacher or other adult asked for quiet or better behaviour. Parents as well as staff and governors are full of praise for pupil behaviour. The number of fixed term exclusions remains low and relatively unchanged over the past few years at around two per annum.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Personal development and relationships are a particular strength. Pupils have very good relationships with each other both in class and outside where pupils from different years were seen playing and socialising together. Good examples of paired and group work were observed, including team building exercises in Year 6 personal, social and health education classes. They also have very good relations with all adults; teachers as well as non-teaching staff and visitors. They are courteous, polite and friendly. The behaviour and relationships within the school reflect the importance attached to these areas by the school community and the attention the school has paid to the continued development of its positive ethos. Henry Green Primary School - 13 13. The willingness of pupils to take personal responsibility and to become involved through their own initiative is very good. Many pupils take on positions of responsibility. For example, the

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

paired reading scheme involves pupils throughout the school: with pupils paired with pupils four years older, from Nursery and Year 3, up to Years 2 and 6. Many pupils keep the same partners for the four years and as soon as they move to Year 3 they become the mentors for the younger pupils. Other voluntary activities include helping in the dining hall. Year 5 and 6 classes elect representatives to the school council, each of whom liaises with a younger class. For example, the school council asked pupils through questionnaires, to choose new markings for the playground. Pupils were also involved in making suggestions for the development of the school grounds.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils are well able to reflect on their actions and respect the views of others. This was demonstrated, for example, in personal, social and health education and religious education lessons and in assemblies, where teachers take opportunities to involve pupils in examining their actions, the effect they have on others and to learn good practices. In many lessons pupils listen well to the views of others.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. A strength of the school is the way in which pupils of both genders and all ethnic groups relate to one another, working and playing in harmony. No oppressive behaviour, such as bullying, sexism or racism was observed either in lessons or outside classes. In discussion with pupils they knew who they would go to if they or others were being bullied. Parents corroborated this, noting that when incidents occurred, their children had the confidence to speak to their teachers.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Attendance continues to be a cause for concern. The progress made at the time of the last inspection has not been maintained. The figures for the academic year to date show similar unsatisfactory figures. The school comes in the lowest quarter of all the Authority’s primary schools for attendance. Absences are due to holidays in school time as well as high levels of non- attendance from a small number of pupils. The data shows that when pupils with poor attendance leave others replace them with similar poor attendance patterns.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Overall, the teaching at Henry Green Primary School is good. This demonstrates an improvement on the last inspection when most teaching was found to be sound. The headteacher has focused on improving the quality of teaching and has implemented an effective programme for monitoring, evaluating and improving performance. The result of this programme has been to raise the quality of teaching from 80 per cent being satisfactory or better to 97 per cent satisfactory or better. The percentage of good or better teaching has risen from 40 per cent to 66 per cent, with almost one in five lessons having very good or excellent teaching. The teaching in the Foundation Stage gives children a good start to their schooling. The significant improvement in teaching, particularly of pupils in Years 3 to 6 where in almost 8 out of 10 lessons teaching is good or better, has contributed to the improvement in pupils' learning. The good teaching of literacy and numeracy

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

has led to the significant improvement in the test results for Year 6 pupils.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. There are several important characteristics of good teaching at Henry Green that enable pupils to make appropriate progress. In particular the teaching of basic skills and teachers' expectations of children in the Foundation Stage and the way teachers manage pupils and their relationships with pupils are strengths across the school.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. In all classes teachers prepare their lessons carefully by planning what they will cover and the activities they will use. This ensures that resources are available and the organisation of the classroom enhances learning. A good example of this was in a Year 6 science lesson where pupils were creating their own investigations and the carefully prepared organisation of the lesson ensured pupils could carry out group investigations with both enjoyment and learning. In most lessons the planning sets out what the teacher wants the pupils to learn and to be able to do by the end of the lesson. Where this is clear and specific and shared with pupils, as in a Year 2 lesson on writing a letter to Greenpeace, there is a good focus on pupils' learning and they make good progress.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good. Pupils are treated with respect and consequently feel valued and encouraged to contribute to lessons. For example, in more than Henry Green Primary School - 14 one lesson when the pupils did not understand and asked for an explanation the teacher calmly explained again, but emphasised that the reason the pupils didn't understand was "because I didn't explain it well first time." This response enhanced the pupils' self-esteem and made them willing to indicate again when they did not understand. Most teachers are particularly skilled at managing those pupils who present very challenging behaviour. This ensures that the pupil concerned is able to resume their work and also minimises any disruption for other pupils enabling them to continue with their work.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Pupils become enthusiastic and eager to learn where teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects they teach and understand how to present and discuss subject material in a way that helps pupils really understand, as in a Year 2 geography lesson on finding where the United Kingdom and Mexico were located. Teachers' confidence enables them to ask searching and probing questions that challenge pupils' thinking and take them on in their learning. For example, in a Year 6 English lesson the very good questioning gave pupils the opportunity to consider changes in the character of Edmund in "The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe" and give responses that show careful thought. In some lessons, the enthusiasm and joyful exuberance generated by the teacher enabled the pupils to perform at a high level and develop a zest for their learning. This was seen in a number of classes, including a Year 4 English lesson on "Little Redcap." Where teachers

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

set time limits for work to be completed pupils produce work at an appropriate rate, as in many mathematics lessons.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The unsatisfactory lessons and the weaknesses in some otherwise satisfactory lessons are linked, in part, to teachers not successfully matching the pitch of the work to the ability of the higher attaining pupils, as in some mathematics and English lessons. In such lessons higher attaining pupils did not always progress to more challenging work, usually because they had to complete too much lower order work before moving on to work that would challenge them. Frequently, worksheets had the more challenging questions at the end or extension work was available for higher attaining pupils. Instead of higher attaining pupils beginning with the work or section of the sheet most suitable for them, teachers require them to complete the whole of the sheet. In a number of cases, pupils do not reach the work that would be best matched to their attainment level. This hinders pupils' progress and learning. In part, this is due to a too rigid

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

following of the LEA produced schemes of work. Where teachers follow the LEA advice and appropriately modify the tasks and activities to match the level of attainment of the pupils of differing abilities in their class, the lessons are more successful and more able pupils make good progress.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The scrutiny of pupils' work confirms that in too many subjects teachers do not make sufficiently high demands of the pupils in terms of presentation, handwriting, spelling and the skills required by the subject itself. The high reliance on worksheets in some classes contributes to the underdeveloped skills elements in many subjects. In addition this leads to pupils' not developing an appropriate level of skill in non-fictional writing such as explanations and argument. Other weaknesses occur when teachers are insufficiently focused on what it is they intend the pupils to learn, and lessons become "bitty" and incoherent.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Overall, the quality and use of day-to-day assessment, including marking, through the school is unsatisfactory. Too much marking is in terms of a tick and a comment such as "good boy". There are too few comments made that will assist the pupil to learn from the completed work or indicate the next step in learning so progress is not as great as it could be. Teachers do not analyse pupils’ errors and weaknesses sufficiently, for example in writing, but tend to move on to the next part of the content or knowledge to be covered. Consequently teachers do not devise programmes of work to address the pupils’ weaknesses and take them on in their learning and so pupils frequently continue to make the same errors. Some teachers make good use of plenary sessions to assess what pupils have learned during the lesson, as in a mathematics lesson where pupils were asked to give a "thumbs up, thumbs down" signal if they felt they had understood the

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

lesson. Other teachers fed back on whether they thought the class had achieved rather than allow the pupils to assess their own learning. Teachers' planning does not indicate that teachers modify their teaching or the programme of work as a result of the assessments made during the lesson or in the plenary session. Henry Green Primary School - 15

p.14

PUPILS?

25. The school provides a good range of learning opportunities for children in the Foundation Stage. However, there are some weaknesses in provision. Sometimes in the Reception classes, too much direction is given to the children so there are limited opportunities for children to select activities and follow their own interests and ideas. The outdoor learning environment is at an early stage of development and does not contribute as effectively as it might to children’s learning opportunities.

p.15

PUPILS?

26. The school provides its pupils with a relevant curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 6 by including all the subjects of the National Curriculum, religious education and personal, social and health education. However, the curriculum is not broad or balanced enough to cover subjects other than English, mathematics and physical education in sufficient depth. Partly, this is because the time for teaching falls significantly below the Government’s recommendations for pupils in Years 3 to 6. It is also because the school decided to increase the amount of time for English and reduce the time for other subjects in order to raise standards in English. Consequently the time spent on English lessons is very high, over 8 hours a week in all year groups. Whilst this has been successful to a certain extent, the inadequate amount of time spent on some subjects is now having a detrimental effect on standards, not only in those subjects, but also in literacy. At the

p.15

PUPILS?

moment pupils are not able to extend their reading and writing experiences, which they gain in English, in other subjects and this is limiting further improvement. The school recognises that there is now a need to develop the other subjects of the curriculum by planning carefully the integration of aspects of literacy in the other subjects. However, this is at a very early stage of development and the school has not yet finalised a clear planned approach to broadening the curriculum whilst retaining pupils’ strong achievements in English.

p.15

PUPILS?

27. There is a wide difference in the amount of time for some subjects in different year groups. Some pupils are taught some subjects for very little time during their overall time in the school. Teachers' timetables indicate that for some pupils the curriculum planned for the week is unbalanced on some days. For example, on one day a class has either English or mathematics for the whole day apart from an hour and a half spent on ICT and singing in the hall. The school does not have an agreed amount of time allocated to all subjects in each year group. Not enough progress has been made in improving the time for teaching subjects since the last inspection.

p.15

PUPILS?

28. The school has successfully introduced the LEA strategies for literacy and numeracy across the school and these have made a major contribution to the improvement in pupils’ standards in these subjects. The use of information and communication technology across the curriculum is limited, and the school has planned action to develop this area.

p.15

PUPILS?

29. Despite the uneven allocation of time to subjects, staff work hard to provide increased curricular opportunities for their classes though educational visits and school based activities. There are extra curricular activities that support the musical, scientific and physical development of pupils. These are open to pupils of all abilities. There are educational, including residential, visits to places of historical and cultural interest. The school also makes good use of visitors to broaden pupils' curricular experiences. These are successful and contribute to the pupil’s personal social and spiritual development as well as providing learning opportunities in other subjects of the curriculum including religious education, history and geography.

p.15

PUPILS?

30. The provision made for sex education and drug awareness is sound and based upon policies appropriately agreed by the governing body. Personal, social and health education is taught through lessons focusing on aspects of the agreed school curriculum and specific sessions called ‘circle time’ during which pupils discuss issues of personal and school concern. Pupils take the sessions very seriously, confidently expressing their ideas in an atmosphere of mutual trust and thereby learning to see a different point of view. The sessions are making a very positive contribution to the development of the pupils' personal and social skills and behaviour. Henry Green Primary School - 16 31. Overall, the links with the community are satisfactory. The school has visited the local church and members of the local community, such as the police, visit the school to widen the pupils' knowledge and understanding of the wider world. There are good links with local secondary

p.15

PUPILS?

schools with curriculum issues and transfer arrangements having been discussed. The school has excellent links with providers of initial teacher training.

p.16

PUPILS?

32. Pupils' spiritual development is satisfactory and is evident especially through subjects such as religious education, where pupils were able to explain concepts such as faith. Opportunities for spiritual development are less evident in other subjects because of the lack of time given to subjects such as art and music that can make a major contribution to this aspect. Collective worship makes a limited contribution to pupils' spiritual development as in some class- based acts it lacks the sense of a special time.

p.16

PUPILS?

33. Pupils’ moral development is very good and is enhanced by the excellent role models provided by all adults in the school. Pupils are able to identify right and wrong behaviour. Appropriate topics are regularly dealt with, both in and out of the classroom. Issues such as being kind to others, taking responsibility for their own actions and “behaving to others as we want others to behave to us”, are effectively explored in personal, social and health education, religious education and assemblies. In some cases this is done by using stories both from the Bible as well as contemporary tales, in other cases, pupils’ own experiences are used well for reflection and discussion. Pupils have contributed to the clear expectations and rules for behaviour displayed in classrooms.

p.16

PUPILS?

34. Pupils’ social development is very good. In no small way this is due to the high quality of the adults' setting a good example through the respect and courtesy they show between themselves and with the pupils. Consequently pupils' levels of self-esteem are good. This is an improvement from the last inspection. Participation in the School Council provides an excellent opportunity for pupils to develop their understanding of citizenship. The school takes this activity very seriously and it makes a major contribution to the involvement of pupils in the wider life of the school.

p.16

PUPILS?

35. The cultural development of the pupils is unsatisfactory. This contrasts with the satisfactory judgement of the last inspection. Although the school provides a variety of educational visits for pupils to broaden their cultural experience, there is too little to promote a wider understanding and appreciation of the diversity and richness either of their own or other cultures. The limited amount of time given to some subjects means that opportunities for extending the pupils' cultural awareness in, for example, music, art and geography are constricted.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Procedures for the care of pupils are generally good, which largely follows the judgements in the last inspection report. The procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and eliminating oppressive behaviour are very good. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic performance are satisfactory. The procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are unsatisfactory.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school takes very good care of its pupils. It is a safe and secure environment where pupils are generally well supervised at work and play. Teachers and other staff know all the pupils by name and pupils are confident that they can approach teachers and other staff with problems. The school has an appropriate health and safety policy and the procedures for dealing with illnesses and accidents are appropriate. There are a number of trained first aiders amongst the staff. The Midday Supervisors are trained and provide good support at lunchtime and some good relations between pupils and supervisors were observed during the inspection.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school has successfully introduced some healthy eating options: a fruit tuck shop at morning breaks as well as a salad bar at lunch times. The school has effective links with a variety of health workers, including a school nurse who visits regularly, and local social agencies. The school uses the local authority child protection policy. The headteacher is the named Child Protection Officer and all staff know that any concerns should be brought to her attention. Henry Green Primary School - 17 39. Overall, the procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are very good. The procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very good and this area is well led and managed by the early years and key stage co-ordinators under the direction of the deputy headteacher. There is a very good policy, which is well understood by pupils, who were involved in writing the code of conduct and parents have been well informed of what is expected of

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

their children. High expectations are promoted effectively through the variety of awards and the weekly good book assembly where the behaviour, progress or other positive acts are publicly recorded and recognised. Teachers try to ensure that all pupils appear in the book on a regular basis. Midday supervisors contribute to the rewards system by passing on the names of pupils who have behaved well. The cook also has a reward scheme including a nicely decorated table or, in good weather, a picnic in the quadrangle. Poor behaviour is recorded in class incident books, whilst more serious incidents go into the school incident book. The senior managers, headteacher and deputy headteacher deal with these incidents effectively.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The procedure for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour is very good. No oppressive behaviour was observed and good relations amongst pupils from all backgrounds, was observed. The school has been very active in this area having just produced and implemented a race equality policy.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The school has procedures for monitoring and improving attendance, including a policy to raise rates of attendance. However, these are not yet rigorous enough as rates of attendance are unsatisfactory and have not improved since the last inspection. Further ideas for improving attendance need to be explored and implemented. Registers are generally filled in correctly. The school has firm guidelines on time being taken off and these are well known to the parents. Reminders about attendance appear regularly in the newsletters and the governors’ annual report to parents. The newly appointed Attendance Officer is supportive, visiting the school fortnightly. There are a series of letters of ever-increasing severity in cases of continual absenteeism. The Attendance Officer visits in the most persistent cases. However, the school currently has no computer system for recording attendance and the office staff spends time collating the information

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

by hand. Consequently, the school can get an overview picture and pupil-specific information only with difficulty. The LEA plans to introduce a computer system into the school for the next academic year. The school needs to plan how to use this to best effect. The school does not have a programme for contacting parents on the first day of absence, although the amount of time allocated to the administration staff is high for this size of school.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and monitoring and supporting pupils academic performance are satisfactory. The school has an effective assessment and marking policy. However, not all teachers follow the marking procedures. Teachers keep detailed records of pupil attainment and progress that they update regularly. These records track progress throughout the pupil’s school career and contain substantial and increasing amounts of useful information that are passed on from year group to year group.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Some subject leaders analyse test results and use these to help class teachers make assessment of their pupils. In Years 3 to 5 non-statutory tests are taken, the results of which are used to inform the regular year group assessment meetings. The school uses the agreed tests to compare the strengths and weaknesses of their pupils in mathematics with other schools in the project. Regular spelling and reading tests also contribute to teacher assessment and inform the assessment meetings.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The termly year group assessment meetings identify strengths and weaknesses, formulate action to be taken and set or review progress towards targets across the year group. Year groups meet regularly to discuss planning, the quality of pupils’ work and identify assessment activities.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Although there are good procedures for gaining valuable information about pupils’ performance, the use and analysis of this assessment information to guide school and curriculum planning is unsatisfactory. The school has a large amount of data, but it is not always analysed with sufficient depth to provide good guidance to decision making and to inform the school development plan. So, for example, although the school has identified that writing is a weakness, Henry Green Primary School - 18 little further analysis has been carried out to identify where the problems are and suggested ways forward. The information in the assessment files is not organised to ensure ease of access for subject leaders so that they can use it to guide them in the evaluation of their schemes of work.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Assessments of pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are used well to provide such pupils with an appropriate curriculum and support in the classroom and in withdrawal groups so that they make good progress. However, at present the information gathered from more formal tests and assessment is not always translated into appropriate curriculum targets for all individual and groups of pupils to help them make good progress year by year. Similarly, the use of day-to-day teacher assessment during lessons is not sufficiently developed so that the short term planning is appropriately adapted to ensure that higher attaining pupils are consistently challenged to reach appropriate levels of attainment.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The school has developed a very good partnership with parents and carers. Parents expressed high levels of support for the school and the education it provides through the pre- inspection meeting for parents, the questionnaires and in their conversations with inspectors during the inspection. The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents is also very good and the impact of parents’ involvement is good. This shows a strengthening of the good relationships in the previous inspection.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. A significant strength of the Foundation Stage is the partnership that is developed with parents. Early contact is made with parents through a programme of home visits. This link is developed and fostered through regular meetings, communication and training opportunities for parents. This early contact is valued by parents and is a significant factor in the early identification of children with learning needs and the good progress that children make in developing basic skills.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents are highly supportive of the school and have very few concerns. The annual pupil reports are good. Many of them relate to the individual pupil’s achievements and are detailed. The comments describe what pupils can do and in some cases show what they know and understand. Class teachers write their own comments, which relate to the pupil. The space for parental comments enables parents to respond.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The governors’ annual report to parents furthers their understanding of the life of the school by containing detailed information about its activities. Regular newsletters keep parents well informed about what is happening in the school and future events. Each year group sends out quite detailed curriculum letters each term which parents find helpful.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The school actively seeks to involve parents. A number of parents help out in the school on a regular basis. The school promotes the involvement of parents in their child's learning. So, for example, in conjunction with a local college, courses are run in the school to help parents to support their child in mathematics. Parents who feel their own skills are weak or that the methods they were taught differ from those currently used welcome this. Children are happy to complete projects with their parents.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Parents have easy access to the teachers and headteacher and feel very comfortable in approaching the school and confident that the school responds well to their needs and concerns.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. There are annual meetings for parents. The school is exploring ways of better communicating with parents who do not speak English.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are involved appropriately in meetings with school staff and outside agencies. Henry Green Primary School - 19

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. Overall, the leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school and has communicated this vision with the governing body and all staff so that all those connected with the school have a very strong commitment to improvement. Through her guidance, the governing body has set challenging statutory targets and the school has taken very effective action to meet them. The headteacher has provided very good leadership in key areas of school improvement since the last inspection. She correctly identified as priorities the need to raise standards in English, mathematics and science and to improve the quality of teaching and has taken focused decisions leading to strong action to address these areas. Her decisions and actions have led to the very good improvement in the statutory test results in Year 6 since the last inspection and to the two DFES curriculum awards. She has set up robust procedures to

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

improve successfully the quality of teaching. A further focus of the leadership within the school has been the creation of an ethos of learning where pupils are concerned to do their best. This has resulted in the good responses of pupils within lessons and around the school that has, in turn, led to improvements in standards. In these areas the headteacher has, in a very clear way, provided the school with the quality of leadership necessary to make it very successful in reflecting its aims in its practice. All those with a leadership role, including the deputy headteacher and foundation and key stage co-ordinators, have made the welfare of the pupils a very high priority and this is reflected in the evident care and concern all staff have for their development and well-being. Governors point to the quality of the commitment of all staff to the well-being of each other and the pupils as a strength of the school. The inspection supports this view.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The headteacher correctly identifies the development of the leadership and management roles and responsibilities of senior managers and subject co-ordinators as areas that need to be improved. A weakness in the leadership is that teachers at this level do not yet have sufficiently clear leadership and management responsibilities that contribute to school improvement and the raising of standards in all subjects. Consequently the school does not yet possess a broad enough approach to self-evaluation and development. In particular there are too few rigorous systems for the senior managers and subject co-ordinators to monitor the implementation of school policies or to evaluate the school's performance and systematically diagnose its strengths and weaknesses in every subject. There is too little monitoring of teachers' planning and pupils' work to ensure that: marking is in line with school policy; the schemes of work in all subjects are being covered; pupils

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

are being provided with work of sufficiently challenging nature and pupils are making progress over time in all subjects. Similarly, teachers' timetables are insufficiently monitored and evaluated to ensure that all pupils receive a broad and balanced curriculum, with all subjects receiving an adequate amount of time. Consequently the school has not taken effective action to bring about improvements in a number of areas, including the use of time and the adequate coverage of the programmes of study in all subjects.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. There is an effective programme for the monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching carried out mainly by the headteacher as part of her regular management function, and by other senior members of staff through the performance management procedures. Weaknesses in teaching are identified and effective action is taken to bring about improvement. However, there is insufficient sharing of the very good practice available in the school, including the lead mathematics teachers.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The overall management of the school is good. The day-to-day running of the school is efficient. The members of the administrative staff effectively carry out their functions, although the resources allocated to this area are high for a school of this size. Financial management is secure, with the recommendations of the audit report having been met, and the day-to-day administration of finance being very efficient. Specific grants and funding are appropriately allocated so that, for example, pupils with special educational needs make good progress. Teaching and support staff are well deployed. The major area of special educational needs is very well led and managed and the use of learning support assistants makes a major contribution to the progress made by pupils with special educational needs. The procedures the leadership has established within the school for the management and promotion of good behaviour and moral and social development have

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

ensured that relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff are very good and that pupils show respect for the feelings, beliefs and values of others. The deputy headteacher and the Henry Green Primary School - 20 foundation and key stage co-ordinators effectively manage their areas of responsibility, particularly those concerned with the support of teachers and individual pupils. Performance management procedures are being implemented, with a good allocation of responsibilities among senior members of staff. The senior manager responsible for the induction of new staff carries out her role very well and the school is an effective provider of initial teacher training.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. A weakness in the leadership and management of the school is the school's current development plan. The headteacher has correctly identified that it lacks sufficient detail and clarity as a tool for strategic and operational planning, and gives insufficient guidance for the further development of the school and the subjects of the curriculum. A number of subjects are not included in the plan and there are weaknesses in the clarity of targets, actions, timing and specific measurable success criteria. The link between the actions and targets in the development plan and financial allocation is weak. These weaknesses make the plan difficult to implement, monitor and evaluate in a coherent fashion, and have led to a number of the key issues from the last inspection not being properly addressed. In addition the plan covers a period of only one year so it provides little guidance for longer-term decision-making and developments. In the past there has been too

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

little staff and governor involvement and responsibility for areas of the plan, including budgetary responsibilities. The headteacher is currently addressing these identified weaknesses as part of her strategy for improving the leadership of subject co-ordinators. She has made changes to the way in which the development plan is drawn up and the first drafts of the new plan show that a good start has been made on improving the quality in the current round of development planning. There are clear attempts to base the new plan on an evaluation of the current situation within each subject.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The governing body has a very strong commitment to improvement within the school and takes a pride in its achievements. It is very supportive of the school, the headteacher and staff. It is aware of areas for its own development and the newly appointed chair is seeking to develop its role further to address some of the areas it has identified for improvement. Overall, it effectively carries out its statutory duties, including the monitoring of finances. It has strong procedures for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the spend in improving the premises and carefully explores the effect of its decisions on staffing, in particular learning support staff. However, its leadership role regarding the monitoring and evaluating of curriculum provision and the effect of the school's decisions in this area is not sufficiently robust. In some cases it is not rigorous enough in holding the school to account for standards and the quality of provision. This is because it has not

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

established effective procedures for monitoring the implementation of the school development plan and evaluating its effect on pupils' learning and achievement and so does not have a broad enough understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. There is a good system whereby individual governors have a link with subjects. However, this is not exploited sufficiently to ensure that all subjects are being developed effectively for the benefit of the pupils. Although the governing body has a vision for the school, it is not sufficiently involved in the early stages of the school development planning process to ensure that its vision is being planned for in practice, nor has it a strategic programme for future developments beyond one year.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The school is at an early stage in developing best value practices. It effectively uses the principle of competition with regard to the strategic use of resources and getting best value for the purchase of services. However, while the principles of comparing, challenging and consulting are implemented in some areas, they are not yet sufficiently widespread and part of normal practice.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The number, qualifications and experience of teachers and classroom support staff match the demands of the curriculum. Although the school has two teachers from overseas who are regarded as unqualified in this country, the school has ensured that they have a firm grasp of the curriculum, teaching methods and behaviour management system to ensure that pupils are not disadvantaged. All teaching and support staff are conscientious and work very effectively as a team.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Overall, the school provides children and pupils with pleasant and good quality accommodation. The school grounds have been very well developed, with a beautiful central area, complete with wild ducks nesting on the pond, which adds to the calm of the environment. Within the grounds there are landscaped and natural areas to exploit fully the potential of the site. The Henry Green Primary School - 21 school has plans to develop the weaknesses of the outside activities area for the Foundation Stage children. The buildings are kept clean and in good condition, with the school keeper taking evident pride in their appearance. The implementation of the school’s plan for developing a computer suite to address the major deficiency in information and communication technology provision has been held up due to circumstances beyond its control. The refurbished library provides an attractive area for pupils to use but there are insufficient good quality fiction books throughout the school.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Although the school’s unit costs are high and the LEA provides a high level of services, the school makes good use of the funds made available. The school serves an area of social and economic deprivation but achieves high standards, with children in the Foundation Stage receiving a good start to their schooling. The overall quality of teaching is good and pupils' personal, social and moral development is very good, leading to very good relationships. The school is well led with good management and a high commitment to improvement. The school provides good value for money.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

65. In order to raise standards further, the governors, headteacher and staff should now:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(i) Raise standards in writing, music, design and technology, and information and communication technology for all pupils, geography for pupils in Year 6 and science for pupils in Year 2 by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• teaching the full programmes of study for all subjects of the national curriculum and religious education (Para 56, 106, 110, 115, 116, 118, 119, 120, 127, 137, 141, 146); • further extending the teaching and use of writing into all subjects of the curriculum (Para 26, 86, 124, 143, 94, 106); • completing the plans for the development and use of the information and communication technology suite (Para 63, 129, 132).

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(ii) Make better use of curriculum time by: • increasing the length of teaching time for pupils in Years 3 to 6 (Para 26); • addressing the day-to-day imbalance and use of time in teachers' timetables (Para 26, 56, 94, 111, 119, 141, 146); • increasing the amount of time subjects other than English and mathematics are taught for pupils in Years 1 to 6 (Para 26, 27, 106, 112, 115, 116, 119, 120, 133, 141, 146);

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(iii) Improve the way in which teachers and the school use information gained from assessment to guide teaching and planning by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving the quality and use of teachers' marking and oral feedback to help pupils to learn (Para 24, 93, 108); • making more effective use of day-to-day assessment and the analysis of the pupils' work to plan for and meet the learning needs of pupils of differing abilities within lessons (Para 24, 45, 46, 90, 93, 100, 101, 102, 110, 115, 119, 131, 136, 141).

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(iv) Improve the quality of the school's planning for future development by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• involving governors and all staff at an early stage in drawing up the plan for all areas of school life (Para 59, 60); • writing clear and measurable targets, actions, timing and success criteria into the plan (Para 59); • making a strong link between the targets and actions and the allocation of finance and other resources(Para 59); • providing an outline plan for developments beyond one year (Para 59, 60). Henry Green Primary School - 22 (v) Improve the ways in which the headteacher, senior managers, subject co-ordinators and governors carry out their leadership and management roles, particularly their monitoring and evaluation roles, by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• establishing an effective programme for leaders, managers and subject co-ordinators to develop, monitor, evaluate and improve the quality of their areas of responsibility and the implementation of whole-school policies, including curriculum provision and coverage of the programmes of study, the use of time, teachers' planning and pupils' work and standards (Para 26, 56, 95, 111, 115, 119, 123, 127, 132, 136, 140, 146); • establishing rigorous procedures for governors to monitor the implementation of the school's development plan and to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken in terms of pupils' standards and the quality of provision( Para 60);

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(vi) Improve the level of attendance by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• implementing more rigorous procedures for addressing the persistent absence of a small number of pupils and reducing the number of authorised absences (Para 16, 36, 41). Henry Green Primary School - 23 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 29

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 416

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 100

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 5

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 126

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 33

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 37

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 44

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.23

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Henry Green Primary School - 24

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 36 22 58

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 25 28 32 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 20 20 22

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 78 (96) 83 (96) 93 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 27 33 33 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 20 22 22

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 81 (96) 95 (98) 95 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 34 24 58

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 27 32 30 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 20 21

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 79 (79) 90 (77) 88 (93) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 17 23 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 18 19 19

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 60 (68) 72 (80) 66 (91) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Henry Green Primary School - 25

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 12 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 12 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 6 Other minority ethnic groups

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 15.1 Financial year 2001/2002

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 32

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 1,052,809

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 13 Expenditure per pupil 2,377

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 340 Balance brought forward from previous year 41,305

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 72,213

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 33

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Henry Green Primary School - 26

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 54 37 5 1 3

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 44 51 5 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 37 43 11 1 8

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 52 42 4 1 1

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 57 34 4 4 1

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 61 38 0 0 1

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 35 54 9 0 1

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 51 32 5 0 13

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 46 39 5 0 10

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 25 33 18 5 19 Henry Green Primary School - 27 PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Children in the Foundation Stage make a very good start to their education in the nursery class. They continue to make satisfactory to good progress in all areas of learning in the Reception classes. Many children begin nursery with poorly developed skills in speaking and listening, and personal independence. This is confirmed by the initial assessments conducted with these children. However, due to the high expectations of teachers and the very good teaching of basic skills, by the time they are ready to start Year 1, the majority of children achieve well and attain the early learning goals in all areas of learning. A small minority of children exceed the goals in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy and mathematical learning because of the very good teaching of these areas. The previous inspection report of 1998 commented on the good assessment and recording practice that had been

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

established across the year groups. These standards have been maintained. The overall good quality of teaching, linked to the strong partnership that is built up with parents in the early years make a significant contribution to whole school development.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

67. Nearly all the children enter the nursery class with immature skills in personal and social development. By the time they leave the Reception class all children are achieving the early learning goals in this area. This shows good achievement and reflects the skilful teaching in the nursery and Reception classes where children are constantly encouraged to feel confident about what they can achieve.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

68. In both year groups children play and work together well. They show consideration towards each other and are helped to know how to apologise effectively if they hurt or upset one another by their actions. The children are very enthusiastic about their learning and behaviour and response is very good overall.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

69. The adults provide very good role models for the children and work together well as a team. They treat one another with courtesy and respect and this helps the children to understand one another’s point of view.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

70. The adults promote children’s personal and emotional development effectively through the established daily routine, the well-organised working areas and easily accessible materials and resources, which help them to become independent.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

71. By the time the children reach the end of the Reception year they are nearly all achieving the early learning goals in this area. A small number of children attain levels in literacy beyond the standards expected. All children make good progress during their time in the Foundation stage classes.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

72. In both the nursery and the Reception classes the children enjoy listening to stories and readily share books with adults and one another. All the adults use talk well and are good, active listeners. In the nursery class, effective use is made of homemade resources such as puppets to recall and sequence events and actions in ‘The Bear Hunt’. The adults use questions skilfully to stimulate talk and encourage children to clarify their thinking and explain reasons why. Children are given time to respond and the adults model language use well. In the Reception classes, children are beginning to work with a ‘talking partner’ to develop ideas in writing their news. Talk is less well developed through play activities in the Reception classes where the daily cycle of teacher directed activity limits the opportunities for adults to interact with children during their play. Henry Green Primary School - 28

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

73. The school has a well-established and effective programme of reading partners with older children regularly reading, sharing and talking about books with children in the Foundation Stage. In the nursery class, higher attaining children use illustrations effectively to tell the story and suggest what might happen next. They select and handle books confidently and can distinguish between print and illustrations. Elements of the literacy strategy are used well by all the adults. A good understanding of phonics is developed through effective word, sentence and text level work using well-known stories and rhymes in the Reception classes. At the time of the inspection, all children were appropriately participating in a literacy hour. In both year groups, children think of themselves as readers and writers. In the Reception classes, most children can name sounds and identify letter names in words they use frequently and use sounds confidently to attempt to read and write

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

words and simple sentences. Letters are well formed. Children readily use the supplies of paper and pencils that are made available.

p.28

Mathematical development

74. By the time they reach the end of the Reception year the majority of children are achieving the early learning goals in this area. A small minority make very good progress beyond the expected levels in numeracy. This area of learning is well taught. From the nursery class onwards, children are helped to see mathematics all around them. Cooking is a regular activity in the nursery class. When making ‘bear cakes’, children compared and measured ingredients, counted the cake decorations, discussed more than and less than and used their mathematical ideas to solve problems in sharing and distributing the cakes. There is a good focus on solving problems and thinking through solutions in the mathematical experiences planned by the adults. In the Reception classes, the daily routine and the planned programme ensure that there is an effective focus on introducing new challenges, developing number vocabulary and regular repetition and consolidation

p.28

Mathematical development

of children’s knowledge of numbers, calculation, shape, space and measures. In a game comparing the length of the tails of mice, Reception children confidently explored the language of longer than and shorter than and ordered five tails from shortest to longest with adult help. A focus on missing numbers, in a Reception class, provided challenge to more able children and highlighted their developing understanding of patterns and relationships in number operations.

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

75. Children enter the nursery class with a basic general knowledge. Through good teaching the adults build effectively on this knowledge to extend children’s understanding of where they live, events in their lives and investigation of features of living things and materials. In the Reception classes, children develop an address book and compare similarities and difference in addresses. Effective use is made of the school grounds to observe the ducks in the garden and collect leaves and other natural materials. The construction of a castle role play area in the nursery class provides opportunities for children to explore light and colour as the sun shines through the coloured plastic windows. In both year groups, children can select resources and use tools and equipment safely to construct and build.

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

76. Children make satisfactory progress overall, but there are areas of weakness in provision in this area of learning. There are few resources to develop children’s awareness of different cultures through play and talk. Children have some experience of using the computer when supported by an adult. There are few opportunities for the children to use the computer independently, particularly in the Reception classes.

p.28

Physical development

77. Children’s physical development is generally satisfactory overall across both year groups. However, there are some areas of weakness in provision in this area of learning in the Reception classes. Insufficient time is allocated to the development of children’s physical skills in the Reception classes. In the nursery class, children have opportunities to run, jump, balance and climb and develop good control and co-ordination of body movements, moving through, over and under a range of equipment in the outdoor play area. They show appropriate awareness of the needs of others in the space around them. Through the good teaching adults provide challenge to Henry Green Primary School - 29 individuals and groups and the children make good progress. In the Reception classes, the adults effectively teach skills such as cutting and sticking to help children gain safe control of these finer movements. However, there is little opportunity to use the outdoor space for prolonged sessions

p.28

Physical development

and few opportunities are provided for regular access for short periods of outdoor play. Reception children have access to the school hall for a range of physical activity. This is used effectively to practice and consolidate movement skills such as running and skipping, changing direction, stopping on a signal and to use space appropriately and safely. But there are limited opportunities overall for children to climb, swing and balance and respond through movement on a regular basis. The underdeveloped outdoor area limits children's physical progress and learning across all areas of the curriculum.

p.29

Creative development

78. Children’s creative development is also satisfactory overall across both year groups. Children start from a fairly low level of skill when they enter the nursery and make good progress throughout the nursery and satisfactory progress in the Reception classes due to the good quality of the teaching.

p.29

Creative development

79. In the Reception classes, children enjoy role-play opportunities. They negotiate and maintain their roles as waitress, cook and customers in the café and sustain their involvement over extended periods of time. Adults support children in setting up the area and in developing their roles in the play. They effectively extend the level of challenge through adding resources such as menu cards, in response to children’s ideas and interests. Adults model creative activities using paint, printing, collage and modelling materials well. Children enjoy rhymes and songs that they have learnt by heart. In the nursery class, children explore sounds on a range of instruments, matching sound to action in ‘The Bear Hunt’. There are fewer opportunities for children to select creative activities such as painting from choice in the Reception classes. This limits their opportunities to explore materials and develop skills, to use their imagination and express and communicate their

p.29

Creative development

ideas. The opportunities for children to select a chosen activity to develop their interests and ideas are limited and this restricts their creative development.

p.29

ENGLISH

80. The Year 6 2001 results in the National Curriculum tests in English show a significant improvement since the last inspection in 1998, from being well below the national average to achieving the national average. The Year 2 results in 2001 show a decline since the last inspection. However, there has been an improvement since the 1998 tests. The inspection indicates that for pupils in Year 6 the overall standards in English are broadly in line with national expectations. However, this is due to the better standards in reading, as standards in writing are below those expected. In both reading and writing, standards attained by pupils in Years 1 and 2 have not declined since 2001 and there are fewer pupils attaining at the lowest levels in both reading and writing. However, in writing there are still too few pupils achieving at the higher levels.

p.29

ENGLISH

81. Throughout the school pupils have satisfactory speaking and listening skills. This is an improvement on the last inspection when raising standards in speaking and listening was a key issue. Where teachers insist on pupils answering in sentences and seek to improve the vocabulary, a particular feature in some excellent practice in Year 2 classes, pupils have developed confidence and can communicate their ideas appropriately and use a widening vocabulary. For example, due to the encouragement of the teacher, in a discussion concerning animals, a Year 2 pupil talked of the creature "integrating" with its environment. This oral widening of vocabulary results in much improved writing, as in the same lesson, where a pupil wrote "My snake bites, but very rarely”. In small group and paired discussions pupils share their ideas and take into account each other's opinions. However, in some lessons too many pupils are reluctant to participate fully

p.29

ENGLISH

during whole-class question and answer sessions and teachers are not adapting their methods sufficiently to encourage oral participation. The restriction in time given to the wider curriculum limits the opportunity for pupils to extend their speaking skills and vocabulary. Where this does occur, as in a Year 5 history lesson, the pupils enjoy and gain benefit from imaginative oral Henry Green Primary School - 30 sessions, where, for example, one of them takes the part of a character and answers questions from that character's point of view.

p.29

ENGLISH

82. The inspection shows that by the end of Year 6 most pupils reach average standards of reading. Most read fluently and accurately with good expression and evident enjoyment. They can talk about the book they are reading and more able readers can give reasons for their views on a book. They can predict and discuss characters and authorial style, as in a very good lesson in Year 6 where pupils discussed the character of Edmund in "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe". Most pupils enjoy reading in school; shared texts as well as group reading and individually chosen books. Younger pupils enjoy the books that they take home and the support they receive from their parents has a positive effect on their progress. The school has adopted an early intervention programme for identified pupils in Year 1 and the high quality of the input by teaching assistants in this programme is making a major contribution to raising standards in reading.

p.30

ENGLISH

83. The school has focused on developing reading and this is having a major impact on improving standards. However, although the school has a wide range of assessment information available, there is insufficient analysis of the weaknesses in individual pupils' reading, particularly in Years 3 to 6. Consequently, in too many lessons, all pupils are provided with the same worksheet and answer the same questions, with little attention given to the level of challenge appropriate to their attainment and in some classes lower attaining readers are not always provided with the focussed and structured support that they need to develop their basic reading skills and higher attaining pupils are not provided with sufficiently challenging activities. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress, particularly where teachers provide materials and input to support them. Too few opportunities exist in subjects other than English for pupils to develop their

p.30

ENGLISH

reading skills in research and non-fiction work. The quality, quantity and range of fiction books in the class and central libraries for older pupils is too limited and many books are in a poor condition.

p.30

ENGLISH

84. The school has identified writing as an area requiring development. The inspection supports the school in this evaluation. Pupils make insufficient progress in writing and too few achieve the expected level of attainment in Year 6. Where pupils have a good written style, they produce interesting pieces in a variety of genre using an extensive and interesting vocabulary. They can write complex sentence structures that are used to develop a plot with convincing characters and a series of events that creates an interesting story line. Pupils in Year 5 have produced interesting letters from King Philip of Spain to Queen Elizabeth. In Year 2 pupils have produced some challenging work on writing letters to Greenpeace. However, there is too little writing of this quality. Many pupils' writing is too simple and often contains unsatisfactory punctuation and spelling. In Years 3 to 6 too many pupils write laboriously which impedes their progress and in

p.30

ENGLISH

some classes pupils are reluctant to commit pen to paper. The work in some classes in Years 3 to 6 is untidily presented and the handwriting is unjoined and poorly formed. One reason for the below average standards in writing is that most writing occurs in dedicated English lessons where, in some classes, the opportunities for extended writing in different genres are limited, with much of the work in books being exercises.

p.30

ENGLISH

85. Pupils in the school with English as an additional language are fully included in class work. They improve their English well and their language skills do not stop the majority of them from learning at the same pace as their peers.

p.30

ENGLISH

86. Based upon the observation of lessons and a scrutiny of pupils' work, the teaching of English is good overall, showing an improvement on the last inspection when it was sound. Overall, the teaching in Years 1 and 2 is sound. There is no unsatisfactory teaching and some teaching in Year 2 is excellent. The teaching in Years 3 to 6 is good overall, with examples of good, very good or excellent teaching in all year groups.

p.30

ENGLISH

87. Key to the high quality of teaching seen and the resulting improvement in standards is the LEA scheme of work. Where the teaching is good there is a constant focus on the learning objectives for the lesson with teachers reminding pupils what they are looking for and what is expected. This gives the pupils a clear understanding of what they are doing and how they are to accomplish it so that they can tackle the task in hand with confidence. For example, in a Year 2 lesson on writing a letter, the teacher focused the pupils’ minds on what would make a good letter Henry Green Primary School - 31 and what she would be looking for and the pupils responded by concentrating on those features and producing work of high quality. However, at times the detail of the scheme of work acts as a straightjacket and there is little attempt to adapt the lesson to the needs of the pupils. In some cases too much work is planned and lessons become rushed without good quality consolidation,

p.30

ENGLISH

unfinished or confused. The quality of teaching is highest where teachers, as a result of their own assessment of pupils’ needs, make effective use of the provided planning by using it or adapting it to match those needs. For example, in a Year 4 lesson on "Little Red Cap" and in a Year 2 lesson on writing a letter to Greenpeace, the teachers made very good alterations to the provided planning so that pupils were able to make excellent progress at their own level of attainment. However, in too many pupils' books, there is little evidence of teachers using assessment information gained in lessons to adapt the planning and provide work matched to pupils' levels of achievement. Consequently higher attaining pupils are not always being sufficiently challenged and lower attaining pupils are not completing or understanding the tasks set.

p.31

ENGLISH

88. Where teachers have high expectations of pupils, they constantly challenge pupils with good questions as in a Year 6 lesson on "The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe", where pupils were encouraged to identify the central themes of the book and explore how characters change within the story. There are some excellent examples of teachers' modelling work using the overhead projector, as in a lesson on "The Lion In School". This enables pupils to produce their own analysis of the plot. Pupils make best progress where during the lessons teachers communicate to pupils how well they are doing and how they can improve their work. Comments such as "I like the way you answered using the text. Now can you put it into a sentence for me?" and "That is a very good adjective, it makes me see the penguin's wing" identify for the pupils where they are doing well and what is expected of them. In lessons where this was common practice,

p.31

ENGLISH

rather than where they were just told "good", pupils strained to improve their answers.

p.31

ENGLISH

89. In a number of lessons it is the sheer enthusiasm of the teachers that enables the pupils of all abilities to become excited by their learning and try to achieve highly. Where teachers, either quietly or extrovertly convey the excitement of reading and story, the pupils catch the enjoyment of books and writing and develop a zest for their learning. It is the high quality of teaching that led to the exuberance of boys reading in the voice of Little Red Cap and girls in the voice of the Wolf or a boy’s pleasure in writing a beautiful description of a humming bird.

p.31

ENGLISH

90. Overall, the marking of pupils' writing is unsatisfactory. In some cases it is marked almost solely with a tick and a word of praise or a comment on handwriting and spelling. However, one teacher is experimenting in improving the quality of marking by identifying for the pupils what she is looking for and what she will be marking in the piece of work. This is enabling the pupils of all abilities to concentrate on what they are intended to learn from the activity. In only a very small number of lessons is the plenary session used to good effect. Where pupils were encouraged to evaluate their own or others’ learning against the objective, pupils made some useful comments.

p.31

ENGLISH

91. The time allocated to English lessons is too high. In almost all classes over a third of the taught school week is allocated to English lessons, far in excess of the LEA recommended time for the subject. There is little evidence that some of the additional time on handwriting, spelling and grammar is raising standards as there is little carry over from the exercises into pupils' work. The balance of activities in some class timetables indicates one type of English activity following another and the positioning of some extended writing lessons at the end of afternoons causes pupils not to produce their best work. Some lessons extend for seventy-five minutes and the pace drops and pupils become restless and non-productive by the end of the lesson. A further consequence is that the resulting squeeze on the time for the foundation subjects results in very little writing or reading being carried out in those subjects and the study of literacy becomes divorced from its use. Many

p.31

ENGLISH

of the simple worksheets in these subjects with one word or short answers do not enable pupils to develop their literacy skills across a wide range of genre and there is little time for developing research skills.

p.31

ENGLISH

92. The literacy co-ordinator is carrying out her role effectively. Although she has only recently taken on responsibility for the subject, she is aware of the weaknesses and is intent on working with staff to address them. She has tackled the need to develop resources and is generally promoting the subject. However, a major weakness in the leadership and management of the subject is the Henry Green Primary School - 32 underdeveloped monitoring and evaluation role of the co-ordinator. Currently, there is no consistent and planned scrutiny of pupils' work to ensure that coverage of the curriculum is maintained, work is marked effectively, pupils are making progress and that the needs of pupils of differing abilities are being met. The effect of provision, changes and developments are not effectively evaluated. There is excellent practice within the school, but no structure for ensuring that all teachers in the

p.31

ENGLISH

school have access to this practice so that the quality of teaching of all continues to improve.

p.32

MATHEMATICS

93. Overall, standards in mathematics are good. Attainment at the end of Year 2 is in line with national expectations, as it was at the last inspection. In the 2001 national tests there was a slight fall in results at this age due to a lower than expected number of pupils attaining the higher Level 3. Evidence from the inspection would indicate that there should be an increase in the number of pupils attaining Level 3 in 2002. The 2001 national tests show that attainment at the end of Year 6 was well above national expectations, showing a very significant improvement since the last inspection when it was well below national average. The school is in the top five per cent for schools with a similar number of pupils in receipt of free school meals. Lower and higher attaining pupils achieved particularly well. Evidence from the inspection would indicate that overall attainment for the current Year 6 pupils is still above national expectations.

p.32

MATHEMATICS

94. By the time pupils reach the end of Year 2 they are able to use a variety of strategies to calculate. They can explain their methods, identify mistakes and explain what needs to be done in order to correct such errors. For example, in one lesson a pupil identified the need to use the equals sign in an addition calculation to indicate that both sides of the equation were the same. By the end of Year 6 pupils are able to identify patterns and use trial and improvement to solve number puzzles. They are able to explain the difference between a calculation method and a strategy for solving a problem.

p.32

MATHEMATICS

95. Pupils’ written work and evidence from lessons show that pupils are making at least satisfactory progress overall. Those with special educational needs and lower attainers make good progress because they are supported effectively by provision of appropriate resources and the work of teaching assistants. However, in some lessons, higher attaining pupils do not always make the progress of which they are capable because the level of work provided does not always match their attainment. Using and applying mathematics, shape, space, measures and data handling are less evident than work in the area of number and algebra.

p.32

MATHEMATICS

96. Attitudes to mathematics are good. Pupils listen attentively to the teacher and other pupils. They ask questions and work well in pairs and groups to develop their understanding. Pupils use correct mathematical vocabulary and explain their work confidently to the whole class. Behaviour is good which enables pupils to work well in groups, independently and in pairs whilst the teacher works with a focus group.

p.32

MATHEMATICS

97. The quality of teaching overall is good, showing an improvement since the last inspection. In good lessons teachers plan effectively and ensure that the level of the work provides appropriate challenges for most pupils. In these lessons there is a clear focus on what the pupils are to learn and these intentions are revisited during the lesson and at the end of the session. Consequently pupils of different abilities make good progress and seek to improve. Where teachers involve the pupils in making assessments of their own learning, pupils become more focused and show a degree of understanding of their own learning and needs. So, for example, in one plenary session the pupils were asked to indicate how well they had understood the objectives using a “thumbs up, thumbs down” strategy. In another lesson the teacher gave the pupils an assessment of their progress and what they needed to do to continue to improve - “most of you have improved your

p.32

MATHEMATICS

knowledge of carrying out multiplication and division calculations, most mistakes are due to you not knowing your tables”. These assessments give teachers an indication of what they need to do in the next lesson or what they need to revisit at a later date. However, this good practice is not consistent across the school. Henry Green Primary School - 33 98. Teachers have high expectations and set time limits for work to be completed to ensure that expectations are met and lessons proceed at an appropriate pace. However, some teachers do not always given sufficient consideration as to how to challenge higher attaining pupils resulting in their not always making the progress of which they are capable. In some cases teachers have prepared activities to address the needs of these pupils but they do not always move on to them, as they have to complete the simpler work prior to attempting more suitable activities. In very good

p.32

MATHEMATICS

lessons these pupils do not have to complete all the examples and move swiftly to the extension tasks, thereby tackling work that enables them to make good progress.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

99. Teachers use appropriate questions focused on different ability groups to assess pupils’ understanding, to challenge them and identify misconceptions and misunderstandings. However, such assessments are not always used to amend plans or inform future lessons. Teachers keep detailed records of pupils’ attainment and progress which is tracked from year to year and test results are analysed. However, this excellent information base is not effectively used throughout the school to guide planning programmes of work to address identified weaknesses, nor to ensure that work is pitched at the right level of challenge for all pupils.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

100. The current policy for teaching and learning mathematics does not offer sufficient guidance for teachers. The subject leader has appropriate plans to improve this policy to ensure that all teachers know what is expected of them with regard to providing opportunities for pupils of all abilities to make optimum progress. She also plans to develop the use of information and communication technology to support mathematics teaching and learning and incorporate this into the scheme of work, as this is currently an area of weakness.

p.33

SCIENCE

101. The results of the 2001 National Curriculum tests in science for Year 6 pupils are above the national average and well above average when compared with schools similar to Henry Green, with pupils of all abilities achieving well. This shows a significant improvement since the last inspection. Results in the 2001 science teacher assessments for Year 2 pupils are in line with the national average and well above average for similar schools. However, no pupils of this age reached the higher level.

p.33

SCIENCE

102. Standards in the last inspection were judged to be well below the standard expected nationally of pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and the raising of standards in science was a key issue. The finding of this inspection, through scrutiny of pupils’ work and lesson observations shows that, overall, the achievements of pupils by the end of Year 2 continue to be below expectations with pupils making too little progress in Years 1 and 2. In particular, too few high attaining pupils are making the progress of which they are capable. By the time pupils reach the end of Year 6 they have made better progress and most are achieving at the expected level. This is mainly due to the amount of time and work teachers have carried out in Year 6 to address weaknesses in provision lower down the school. The school has successfully addressed the raising of standards for Year 6 pupils but not for Year 2 pupils.

p.33

SCIENCE

103. The main weakness which results in pupils not attaining at the level of which they are capable is that the very good scheme of work is not being followed consistently in all classes and year groups either in terms of coverage or of level. This is, in part, due to teachers not allocating the school's agreed amount of time to the subject within their own class timetables. In some pupils' books there is very little evidence of science being taught in a systematic way. In some classes there is evidence of coverage of the knowledge aspects of life processes and living things, materials and their properties and physical processes but pupils are given insufficient opportunity to develop their skills of scientific enquiry. Too little attention is given to pupils collecting evidence by means of observations and measurement and developing the investigative skills of planning, obtaining, presenting and giving consideration to evidence and evaluating their work. Often,

p.33

SCIENCE

prepared worksheets stuck into books and work copied from the board limit pupils’ opportunities to write. This adversely affects the progress of higher attaining pupils by preventing them from expressing their own ideas. The extensive use of worksheets prevents pupils from developing their literacy skills and presenting their own ideas. Similarly, the limited amount of investigative work Henry Green Primary School - 34 means that teachers are not using the opportunities presented by science to make appropriate links with mathematics and information and communication technology.

p.33

SCIENCE

104. By the end of Year 2 pupils learn about scientific topics such as the natural world, through their work on plants. They have studied changes in materials such as bread, paper, ice cubes and candles due to heating and cooling. They are able to talk about different sources of light and everyday appliances that use electricity from batteries and the mains supply. By the end of year 6 pupils have satisfactory knowledge of the circulatory and other systems of the body. They have some knowledge of magnets and forces such as friction. Most pupils are interested in science and enjoy their work, particularly when doing practical investigations. Throughout the school, pupils’ attitudes to science are mainly good and sometimes very good. Pupils are keen to become involved in their learning and are eager to talk about their work with other pupils and visitors. Year 6 pupils co-operate well together when developing their investigative challenges and they listen

p.34

SCIENCE

enthusiastically and work with good application and attention to safety. Pupils' behaviour is often very good.

p.34

SCIENCE

105. The quality of teaching overall has improved since the last inspection when some less than satisfactory teaching was observed. Overall, the teaching in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory, with one example of good teaching. The teaching in Years 3 to 6 is mainly good. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. Teachers throughout the school make it clear to pupils what they are to learn and what is expected of them. They make very good use of the formal structure of whole class teaching, group work and a plenary session. Good classroom organisation, planning, secure subject knowledge and good pupil management and relationships are the keys to success in the best science lessons seen. For example, in a Year 6 class the teacher's careful preparation and an insistence on high standards of behaviour ensured pupils made good progress using an extensive range of materials and scientific ideas to devise their own science challenges, even

p.34

SCIENCE

though there was much movement and activity involved. Teachers' enthusiasm and interesting methodology encouraged pupils to respond well to the tasks. In a Year 1 class the joyful use of a "sound bag" containing different things that made sounds encouraged the pupils to listen and identify what they could hear. Later, when writing their own ideas the pupils were able to identify some very good examples of soft and loud sounds, including a child who wrote "a soft sound is a jumper falling on a desk." Very good questioning linking the present lesson with past learning, as in a Year 4 lesson on growing plants, ensured the pupils understood what they were to learn and enabled the teacher to assess effectively what they could remember.

p.34

SCIENCE

106. Where teaching is less effective, lessons lack pace and pupils spend too long on simple tasks. In a number of lessons teachers miss opportunities for demonstrating principles and for using paired work and discussion and there is little recap or proper ending to the lesson. As at the last inspection, teachers' marking is unsatisfactory and is often a tick with very few comments to assist the pupils in developing their understanding and improving the quality of their work.

p.34

SCIENCE

107. Overall, teachers make too little use of assessment information and so are not providing sufficient challenge in the level of the work as pupils move through the school. This shows little improvement since the last inspection. The full National Curriculum programmes of study are not being taught consistently. Consequently, in some cases the same knowledge is being taught in different year groups, without an appropriate raising of understanding or demand in terms of skill. This prevents pupils of all abilities from developing their scientific knowledge, understanding and skills. It also means that, in order to prepare pupils for the statutory assessments, the Year 6 teachers have to spend excessive time on teaching knowledge that should have been covered lower in the school. Comprehension skills, data analysis and the ability to evaluate and explain using correct scientific terms are not being developed effectively within the curriculum.

p.34

SCIENCE

108. The co-ordinator has recently taken on the subject and has not yet developed a programme to monitor and evaluate effectively the provision for science and the standards pupils' achieve as they move through the school. Teachers' timetables and planning and pupils' work are not scrutinised to ensure that teachers allocate the agreed time to the subject so that pupils receive their entitlement to the full programmes of study and that pupils in different year groups are working at the expected level. Although the equipment for teaching science has been improved and is Henry Green Primary School - 35 sufficient for covering the full range of the programmes of study, visual and book resources remain limited.

p.34

ART AND DESIGN

109. Pupil attainment at the end of Years 2 and 6 in art and design is typical for their ages overall, but there are areas of weakness in the teaching and learning of the subject which limits achievement. Standards have fallen since the last inspection because the teaching of art skills is less well planned and pupils do not spend enough time doing art.

p.35

ART AND DESIGN

110. Pupils enjoy art and design activities and have very positive attitudes to the subject. They have opportunities to work across a range of media and techniques. They use pencil, crayon, chalk, paint, pastel, clay and use computer programs to draw and represent their experiences. They develop their ideas, for example, when investigating cave painting techniques in Year 3. The teaching of art is satisfactory overall, although there are examples of good art teaching across the school. This shows a decline in the quality of teaching since the last inspection when teaching was good overall. Where the teaching is good, as in the Year 6 classes, teachers effectively use a range of investigation techniques, including information and communication technology, to develop pupils’ visual awareness of different styles and techniques and knowledge of artists and craftspeople from other times. Teachers’ organisation of working groups provides challenge to the

p.35

ART AND DESIGN

more able and support for the less able in evaluating and developing ideas in drawings for their designs for wire and papier mache pots, in the style of Greek pottery vessels.

p.35

ART AND DESIGN

111. Displays in corridors, classrooms and work folders show that art effectively supports the development of subjects across the curriculum, particularly in design and technology and history. Displays show work of a good standard. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 reproduce portraits of famous people in Tudor times. Younger pupils explore printing with hands, leaves, fruit and other natural forms. The school grounds provide an excellent resource for the development of art and design and photographs and digital scanned images are beginning to be used as a stimulus to observing and recording natural forms. Visiting artists have contributed to the work of the school in textiles and professional development opportunities have supported the range and quality of experiences offered to pupils, such as willow weaving.

p.35

ART AND DESIGN

112. All teachers follow the scheme of work that provides a central core of study. However, too little time is allocated to the subject to support the development of the art curriculum as it is presently set out and to ensure the breadth of art activities are taught in sufficient depth. There is little evidence of the systematic exploration and recording of pupils’ ideas to support the development of original work, such as through the use of sketchbooks. There is insufficient emphasis on the work of long established and modern artists across a range of cultures. The development of three-dimensional work is weak, particularly for pupils in Years 3 to 6. In some classes, teachers’ assessments of pupils’ skills and understanding do not yet inform the planning of the demands of the next assignment to enable pupils of all abilities, particularly the more able, to make appropriate progress. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic about her subject but has had little

p.35

ART AND DESIGN

opportunity to monitor standards across the school and inform planning for school development in order to raise standards. Resources are generally adequate to support the current range of work.

p.35

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. Standards in design and technology are below national expectations for pupils in Year 2 and by the end of Year 6. Pupil’s attainment in Years 2 and 6 was broadly in line with national standards when the school was last inspected in 1998. Since then there has been a decline because the limited time allocation has led to too few opportunities for pupils to engage with the subject and this has resulted in weak design and technology skills.

p.35

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. Pupils' understanding of the designing and making process is developed through a planned cycle of assignments covering the strands of the subject. Pupils respond well to the challenge of the tasks set and made good progress during the lesson. In a Year 1 class, pupils were interested and excited by the way the model monster could be moved by blowing and sucking air through a Henry Green Primary School - 36 tube and plastic bag. They are able to work by themselves and with others. They confidently use simple construction materials to explore ways of making things move with air and evaluating the effectiveness of their investigations in preparation for designing their own monster. 115. Few lessons were taught during the time of the inspection, but evidence from those lessons, pupils’ work and teachers’ planning indicates that the overall quality of teaching is satisfactory. This was the case at the last inspection. Teachers plan the subject to make effective

p.35

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

links with other subjects such as science, history and art. However, this is often at the expense of the amount of time spent on developing design and technology skills such as encouraging pupils to generate ideas, select tools, techniques and materials. There is far too little emphasis on pupils developing and planning their designs in relation to needs and wants and too much copying a process. Work on display shows evidence of teachers planning for work with tools, equipment, materials and components in the making of products and systems across all strands at an appropriate standard. Resources are adequate overall and appropriate attention is given to safety in the lessons seen.

p.36

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. Too little time is allocated across the school to ensure that pupils receive their entitlement to the whole programme of study in sufficient depth. In some year groups very little time is allocated to the subject within a year. Teachers' assessments of pupils’ understanding, in some classes, do not yet inform the planning of the demands of the next assignment. This means that pupils of all abilities do not make appropriate progress. Documentation has been updated by the recently appointed co-ordinator. However, she has not yet had the opportunity to monitor and evaluate standards across the school and inform the school development planning process in order to focus on improving teaching and learning or raising standards.

p.36

GEOGRAPHY

117. Standards of attainment in geography in Year 2 are in line with national expectations, with some aspects such as understanding of maps above this level. By Year 2, pupils are familiar with maps. They have drawn maps of their locality and places they pass on the way to school. At the time of the last inspection, there was insufficient evidence to make a judgement for this age group. Standards for pupils in Years 3 to 6 are not consistent. In Years 3 and 4 the standards pupils achieve are in line with national expectations, but by the time they reach the end of Year 6 they are below expectations. Standards have declined since the last inspection when they were in line with national expectations. Primarily this is because there is insufficient time allowed for the subject to enable pupils to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding, particularly in Year 6. Pupils in Year 5 have investigated the development of a local river, and issues connected with

p.36

GEOGRAPHY

pollution. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are learning well in the lessons and make progress similar to their peers.

p.36

GEOGRAPHY

118. Overall teaching is satisfactory with some examples of good teaching. Teaching was good overall at the last inspection. The teachers have planned their lessons well and have a good knowledge of their pupils. In one lesson, the pupils in Year 2 were looking at atlases, to find where the United Kingdom and Mexico were located and working out how long it would take to travel between them. The pupils responded very well to this and were learning about how to cross the Atlantic Ocean. In another lesson, a Year 6 class was also using atlases to locate a town where they were going on a residential visit. This was also a positive learning opportunity, but some pupils have difficulty dealing with issues of scale and distance. Much of the teaching for pupils in Years 3 to 6 is in whole term blocks. Linked to the insufficient time allocation overall, this arrangement reduces continuity and breaks up learning for the pupils, and has led to a deterioration in standards.

p.36

GEOGRAPHY

119. Pupils’ attitudes to the subject are at least satisfactory throughout. They participate well in discussions and can talk about the subject. They enjoy the lessons and concentration is sustained when they have appropriate activities to do. They are happy to express in words or writing what they have learned during the lessons.

p.36

GEOGRAPHY

120. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and has made considerable efforts to develop the subject. There is a policy and scheme of work in place for the subject. However, she has not had the opportunity to monitor work or teaching in order to evaluate standards. There has been some Henry Green Primary School - 37 monitoring of teachers’ planning but not all teachers follow the appropriate scheme of work. Resources for the subject are well organised and appropriate for the needs of classes. Information and communication technology is used to enhance learning about the subject but the limited range of resources inhibits access by pupils. There is a good range of books in the library to support learning in geography. The school also places an emphasis on visits to teach about geography. In one case, pupils were preparing to visit a small town next to the sea; another group were preparing to visit a rural area on the Welsh borders. These opportunities are valuable for the development of

p.36

GEOGRAPHY

geographical knowledge and understanding.

p.37

HISTORY

121. By the end of Years 2 and 6 pupils’ attainment in history meets national expectation, as at the last inspection. Pupils in Year 2 are able to use photographs and texts to identify famous places in London. They demonstrate an understanding and knowledge of aspects of those places by designing posters giving reasons to make visits to such sites. In their work on Ancient Greece, pupils in Year 6 demonstrate their ability to compare the life of children then with their own life experiences by identifying differences and similarities. However, there is insufficient written work in both key stages to provide evidence of progress over time. The written work often takes the form of undemanding work sheets that do not give evidence of the range of knowledge, skills and understanding required by the history programmes of study. Consequently pupils are not achieving as highly as they could in some classes.

p.37

HISTORY

122. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have satisfactory attitudes to history and the attitudes of older pupils are good. Behaviour is satisfactory and pupils work together well. They listen carefully and respond confidently to teachers, other adults and pupils. In most lessons observed pupils make satisfactory progress and show a lively interest in the subject. Where progress in lessons is good pupils are involved in research and discussion of their findings. This helps them to develop understanding of events in the past and the impact these had on life at that time.

p.37

HISTORY

123. As at the last inspection, teaching overall is satisfactory. However, there have been improvements with teachers now planning with clear lesson objectives to give focus and purpose to the activities. In the best lessons teachers contribute to the pupils’ by providing them with the opportunity to evaluate their own progress against the lesson objectives and ensuring that there is an appropriate level of challenge for all abilities.

p.37

HISTORY

124. A good range of visits to places of historical interest enriches the curriculum. The subject leader has drawn up an overview of the history scheme of work and has begun to review this and teachers’ weekly plans. Further work is needed to monitor and evaluate the history curriculum to ensure the scheme of work provides for progression throughout the subject and gives clear guidance to teachers about the amount of time to be spent teaching history.

p.37

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. Overall standards in information and communication technology are below the national expectations and at the end of Years 2 and 6 achievement is unsatisfactory. This demonstrates a decline in standards since the last inspection when they met national expectations in Year 2 and Year 6. The progress of most pupils is good given the levels of attainment and previous experience at the commencement of Years 1 and 3. There were too few occasions during the inspection when information and communication technology was seen to be used by the pupils. A significant factor in limiting pupils’ use of computers is the lack of equipment resulting in weak information technology skills and an insufficient use of information technology skills in different subjects. Most teachers are becoming confident users of information and communication technology and there is a new subject co-ordinator offering clear guidance and support for staff. There is enthusiasm and commitment

p.37

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

from governors, senior managers and all staff to improve standards in the subject.

p.37

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. By the end of Year 2 pupils learn to control the mouse competently and recognise letters on the keyboard. By the end of Year 6 pupils develop research skills across the internet, enter data and use the information to produce charts and graphs. They are at an early stage of development Henry Green Primary School - 38 in some aspects such as control and modelling. The development of information and communication technology is unsatisfactory at both key stages owing to the limited number of computers. The current provision of 1:23 falls way below the national baseline computer:pupil targets of 1:11 for 2002.

p.37

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. In the lessons seen the overall quality of teaching is good. Although staff are at a relatively early stage of their own competence, and there is a lack of equipment, they have not allowed this to stand in the way of communicating high expectations of pupils. The level of teacher confidence and competence is being effectively addressed through in-service training. Teachers have sufficient knowledge and confidence for what is currently taught and have a clear view of how the information and communication technology curriculum should develop. The school has adopted the scheme of work recommended by the government, and lessons are well planned with pupils having a clear understanding of what is expected of them.

p.38

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. Pupils work well together, they have positive attitudes to information and communication technology and concentrate well in lessons. Classes are managed effectively, and teachers have high expectations of pupil behaviour and work hard to ensure all pupils are suitably included. There are no appropriate assessment procedures to monitor pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.38

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. The co-ordinator is new in post and keen to develop the profile of information and communication technology in the school. Although there has been little opportunity to monitor the teaching and standards in the subject and draw together areas for development or provide additional technical support, a useful staff audit has been conducted and the school is aware of areas for development. The school has drawn up a robust plan for improvements including the provision of an information and communication technology suite, further staff training and a higher level of monitoring. The development of the information and communication technology suite has been held up due to circumstances beyond the control of the school.

p.38

MUSIC

130. The overall standard of attainment in music for pupils at the end of Years 2 and 6 is below the national expectations, as it was at the time of the last inspection. At the time of the last inspection overall progress was judged to be unsatisfactory and there has been little improvement since then in the provision of opportunities for pupils systematically to acquire and develop skills in music making. Pupils sing enthusiastically and enjoy their music making activities but opportunities for two-part singing, or playing instruments are too limited. There are no opportunities for pupils to use music technology to create, manipulate and store sound. These factors hinder the opportunities for pupils to compose. There is too little curriculum time available for this subject in order for the full programmes of study to be taught in sufficient depth.

p.38

MUSIC

131. Pupils sing in tune with clear diction, so that by the end of Year 6 they achieve appropriate standards in singing. In Year 2 pupils used a range of vocal techniques as a warm up exercise and by the end of the lesson had learnt a new song performing it with confidence and enthusiasm. They demonstrated the understanding of the need for expression and clarity of words. Composing and listening skills are below the level expected at both key stages as pupils have too little opportunity for developing and refining musical ideas. Pupils' response to music is good, for example, they listen attentively to music played for assemblies.

p.38

MUSIC

132. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection. It is now good. Strengths in teaching include positive pupil management with pupils making satisfactory progress in relation to lesson objectives. Throughout the school pupils demonstrate enjoyment of the subject, listening carefully to instructions and treating the instruments with respect. In a Year 5 lesson pupils held and played instruments correctly and responded well to the teacher's ability to challenge and extend them.

p.38

MUSIC

133. Not enough improvement has taken place since the last inspection. Although the school is making use of the government’s framework and has a published scheme to assist teachers, there isn’t a sufficiently structured approach to the teaching of music to ensure pupils’ progressively Henry Green Primary School - 39 acquire skills and knowledge. The curriculum is not monitored and there is a limited knowledge of standards. Insufficient teaching time and the lack of assessment opportunities are highly significant factors in limiting the opportunities that pupils have to their entitlement. 134. Pupils continue to have the opportunity to play a variety of musical instruments and are well supported by the LEA music service. Outside musicians come into school to give concerts and they encourage children to take up instrumental tuition. Pupils perform in assembly and take part in extra-curricular activities including performances at Christmas, Easter and the summer

p.38

MUSIC

term. In order to raise standards the school needs to teach the full music National Curriculum programmes of study for an adequate amount of time thereby ensuring pupils’ entitlement and access.

p.39

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. Standards in physical education for pupils at the end of Years 2 and 6 are generally in line with national expectations overall, as they were at the last inspection in 1998. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 make good progress. There are some areas of weakness across the school in the provision and coverage of the full range of physical activity, including dance, games, gymnastics and outdoor and adventurous activity.

p.39

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. Pupils thoroughly enjoy physical activities. They develop very good attitudes to sporting activities in particular. They dress appropriately for physical education and acquire a satisfactory level of knowledge and understanding of the importance of safety, health and the effects of exercise on the body. Pupils talk enthusiastically and knowledgeably about the physical education programme they have experienced at the school, in particular about the swimming programme and the importance of water safety. Swimming and water safety was seen as an area of strength at the last inspection. Pupils in Year 6 benefit from cricket coaching, and make good progress in developing their skills.

p.39

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. The quality of teaching of pupils in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory and in Years 3 to 6 is good. Where there is good teaching, as in a Year 2 dance session, the teacher’s secure subject knowledge supported pupils’ acquisition, development and application of skills as they responded to mood in music through a series of linked movements using different body parts at different levels. Pupils effectively evaluate one another’s movement sequences and planned their next sequence, exploring changes in direction and speed. In a Year 4 adventurous, outdoor activity, the teacher's effective planning, organisation and management of the task and the high level of challenge provided by the teacher during the activity appropriately focused pupils' attention on the tactics of the set task. Pupils worked in groups to collaborate and compete with one another to solve the problem. Unsatisfactory elements in teaching include weaknesses in the detail included in

p.39

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

planning. Consequently in some classes teachers’ planning fails to support the development of pupils’ physical knowledge, skills and understanding and provide appropriate challenge and the level of pupils' activity is insufficient to promote health or to develop, practise and consolidate skills. Too much time is spent sitting, observing others. In some classes changing and preparation for physical education activities is poorly organised and wastes time.

p.39

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. Pupils in some classes do not receive appropriate access to all elements of physical education, particularly dance, due to the use and amount of time allocated to the subject. The way in which time is used in the school means that some pupils do not receive the timetabled amount of time in the hall as they follow assemblies that exceed the planned time. Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ understanding and skills, do not always sufficiently inform the planning of the demands of the next term’s unit of work. Consequently pupils of all abilities do not make as much progress as they could in developing physical skills across the strands of the subject.

p.39

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. Good use is made of the school grounds, hardcore areas and two halls for physical education. Resources and equipment are adequate, although some equipment is old and in need of replacement. There are few extra-curricular activities organised or opportunities for pupils to take part in inter-school sports. The temporary co-ordinator has made a good start in carrying out a review of strengths and weaknesses in provision for the subject. The co-ordinator has not yet had Henry Green Primary School - 40 the opportunity to monitor and evaluate standards or coverage of the National Curriculum programmes of study across the school. Henry Green Primary School - 41

p.39

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. By the end of Years 2 and 6 pupils demonstrate appropriate attainment in religious education in respect of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. This represents an improvement since the last inspection when standards were below expectations. By the end of Year 2 pupils are able to express their understanding of ideas such as faith and courage and give examples from their own experience such as having the courage to go on a frightening ride in a theme park. Older pupils learn about Sikhism and are able to relate their understanding about the Guru Granth Sahib to their knowledge of other holy books. However, there is insufficient written work in both key stages to provide evidence of pupils’ progress through and across the Locally Agreed Syllabus.

p.41

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. Pupils' attitudes to religious education are at least satisfactory and often good. Behaviour is good and pupils work well together. Pupils are interested in their work and use resources effectively to extend and enrich their learning.

p.41

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. Overall, teaching is satisfactory with some very good teaching of pupils in Years 3 to 6, compared to unsatisfactory teaching at the last inspection. It is the improvement in the quality of teaching that has led to the improved standards and performance of the pupils. Where teaching is good the lessons have clear objectives, teachers have planned support for lower attaining pupils and extension work for the higher attaining pupils. They make good links with personal, social and health education and use careful pairing of pupils in order that the pupils can support each others' learning.

p.41

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. The subject leader has begun to monitor work in this curriculum area, she has collated samples of work and observed lessons in every year group. At the last inspection the inadequate coverage of the Agreed Syllabus was a key issue. There has been insufficient progress on improving the coverage so the school is still not meeting the full requirements. This is due to the insufficient amount of time allocated to the subject overall and the inconsistent time spent across classes in the same year group. However, the school plans to introduce the revised Locally Agreed Syllabus from the beginning of the next academic year. In order to meet statutory requirements, the school has appropriate plans to take this opportunity to ensure that sufficient time is allocated for teaching the subject in all year groups and that the scheme of work covers in sufficient breadth and depth the areas of the Locally Agreed Syllabus.

p.41